How to Lower the Chances of Losing Luggage While Traveling by Air

Flying to Vegas for a wedding, one happy couple and family members prayed everyone and everyone's belongings would arrive safely at the same time. Their prayers were answered. But it doesn't always work that way.

Over 700 million passengers board U.S. domestic flights daily. A small percentage of those passengers never see their belongings again. An even smaller percentage of those passengers file official reports.

The airlines industry says that most passengers are reunited quickly with their lost luggage. Most is not all. How can you make sure you aren't one of those few?

Reasons Luggage Goes Astray

Some of the reasons bags go astray are out of passenger control. A passenger grabs the wrong bag by accident, airport workers misread the destination tag, mechanical failure stops a conveyor belt and bags aren't loaded, or someone deliberately steals luggage.

Preventable Typical Luggage Snags

Passengers can take precautions to prevent some typical luggage snags. Check in early so that you and your bags have time to get aboard. Consider this: if you have to run to catch your flight, what are the chances that the bags you just checked will make the flight?

Don't set yourself up for security issues. Pack only allowed items and don't lock bags. Whenever possible, fly direct. No stops for you means no stops for your bags. No opportunity for bags to be loaded on the wrong flight or to miss the right flight.

If you must change planes, try to arrange enough time between flights to give yourself and your bags time to make the change. If you make last minute changes to flight plans, your bags might not get re-routed.

Contact Information Vital

Be sure to include your name and contact information inside and outside your luggage. If the outside tag disappears or if someone grabs your bag by mistake, contact information makes it possible for someone to reach you and make arrangements for the return of your bags.

Know Your Luggage

Know your luggage well. Know the color, size, dimensions, and brand. Know your bag inside and out. Keep record of contents. If your bag goes missing and you have to file a claim, you'll need to be prepared.

Mark Your Luggage

Mark your luggage in a distinctive way. Bright tape, ribbon or scarf tightly knotted around the handle. Choose a distinctive color bag. Avoid basic black. That's what most people carry. You don't want your luggage to blend with everyone else's luggage.

When Luggage Disappears

If your distinctive bag doesn't appear on the carousel, do something about it immediately. Airline rules regarding the reporting of missing property vary, but some require notification in as little as four hours. Miss the deadline and the airline is no longer responsible for your luggage.

Know Your Rights

Know what your rights are and what responsibilities belong to the airline. Then if you must deal with missing or delayed bags, you'll know exactly what to do.

You'll also know what toiletries and other expenses the airlines must cover while you are waiting on delayed or missing luggage.

Vacations are meant for relaxation. Business travel is a chance to get the job done. Don't let lost luggage cost you fun or valuable business time.

Arrive early with distinctive luggage in a color other than black. Your bag should be legally packed and carry contact information inside as well as out. If bags should go astray, take action immediately. You'll save yourself time and trouble while increasing the chances for a satisfactory reunion.